Read the full article by Andrew Engelson (Crosscut)
“The town of Tumwater, on the outskirts of Olympia, has long been known for its crystal-clear drinking water. The now-defunct Olympia Brewing Company built its reputation on the area’s artesian springs, adopting the tag line ‘It’s the Water.’ The Thurston Public Utility District, which supplies water to many of Tumwater’s residents, once won an award for the best-tasting drinking water in the state.
But that crystal-clear reputation has started to erode. Recently, tests have revealed that several wells in Tumwater are contaminated with PFAS.
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a class of water-resistant human-made chemicals used in a wide variety of products from rain jackets to Teflon pans to firefighting foam. These so-called ‘forever chemicals’ don’t break down easily in the environment and have been found to have negative health impacts that include higher cholesterol, decreased immune response, thyroid disease and increased risks of kidney and testicular cancer.
It’s a nationwide problem – a U.S. Geological Survey report in 2023 estimated that nearly half of the nation’s drinking water may contain PFAS. Even some Washington state water systems with a reputation for high-quality water aren’t immune.” …